- ASC News - mail.asc.ac.at

HPC user survey
by Florian Goldenberg 01 Oct '25

01 Oct '25

Dear ASC users, We have been asked to help some colleagues from Germany in their PhD about computational science, and we are happy to oblige. If you find the time, please fill out the survey mentioned below: "We invite you to participate in a research survey exploring how researchers approach computational reproducibility, particularly when working with HPC and cloud infrastructure. Our goal is to better understand current practices, challenges, and needs around reproducible research workflows. Survey link: 👉 https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/computationalReproducibility2025 The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It is anonymous and participation is entirely voluntary. The results will be published in a research paper, and the insights will help inform best practices and training efforts that promote reproducible science. Conducted by: Felix Bartusch (University of Tübingen) Christian Meesters (University of Mainz) Raül Sirvent (Barcelona Supercomputing Center) The survey is open until October 17th, 2025. We greatly appreciate your time and perspective in helping advance reproducible and reliable scientific computing. With best regards, Felix Bartusch (on behalf of the research team)" Thank you, ASC-Team -- Mag. Florian Goldenberg ASC Research Center Technical University of Vienna Operngasse 11 1040 Vienna, Austria Phone: +43 (1) 58801 420811 Mobile: +43 (0) 664 60588 4208 e-mail: florian.goldenberg(a)tuwien.ac.at web: https://www.asc.ac.at Bluesky @asc.ac.at

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TUW OpenScience Labs for HPC
by ASC Newsletter 12 Sep '25

12 Sep '25

Dear ASC users and friends, ASC (through it's hosting partner TU Wien) is happy to offer the first prototypical OpenScienceLabs for HPC, where researchers may host, co-develop and publish their live tutorials in linux-based playgrounds (MicroVMs). These services do not have direct access to ASC data and are aimed at efficient and neat content-creation while allowing highly technical linux customization. We invite you to JOIN to test the offering and cast your vote by LEAVING or remaining in the offering: https://labs.iximiuz.com/trainings/datalab-a939602f This project is funded by EOSC Future INFRAEOSC-03-2020 Grant Number 101017536, as part of ASC / TU Wien. For any specific questions, feel free to write to constanze.roedig(a)tuwien.ac.at in Sept-Nov, but she might take some time to respond because of travelling. Best regards, ASC team

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Call for Projects: Access to Quantum Computing Resources
by ASC Newsletter 10 Sep '25

10 Sep '25

Dear ASC users and friends, we are excited to announce a Call for Projects to provide researchers at Austrian academic or research institutions with access to quantum computing resources. This initiative aims to support innovative research in quantum computing and its applications. Researchers are invited to submit proposals for projects that leverage the capabilities of the quantum computing system. A total of five projects will be selected, with resource allocations tailored to the size and scope of each project. For detailed information about the call, including eligibility criteria, submission guidelines, and deadlines, please visit our homepage: https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/scientific-computing/activities-cooperations/qc-p… We kindly ask you to forward this email to colleagues or other interested parties who may benefit from this opportunity. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at qc-fsp-sc(a)uibk.ac.at. We look forward to receiving your proposals and supporting your research endeavors in quantum computing! Best regards, ASC team and Scientific Computing QC Team at the University of Innsbruck

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AURELEO: Test access to LEONARDO DCGP (CPU partition)
by ASC Newsletter 08 Aug '25

08 Aug '25

Dear ASC users, the AURELEO DCGP 2025 Call is open! Austria owns a small share of the LEONARDO DCGP (Data-Centric General-Purpose) partition at the LEONARDO supercomputer operated by CINECA in Bologna. The nodes of this partition are equipped with two Intel Sapphire Rapids CPUs, each with 56 cores, that are known for their extremely high memory bandwidth. In addition, the DCGP partition uses Mellanox HDR 200Gb/s InfiniBand connectivity, with smart in-network computing acceleration engines that enable extremely low latency and high data throughput to provide the highest HPC application performance and scalability. The DCGP is a CPU only partition. Test access to the LEONARDO DCGP partition is possible for active ASC users in non-commercial projects and because of the limited amount of resources it is suited for testing and/or benchmarking only (we can give up to 1 million core hours per project at maximum, but it depends on the number of incoming applications). Such a test access might be especially useful if you have a memory-bandwidth bound application and in general for everyone interested to test the Intel Sapphire Rapids CPUs. If after testing the DCGP partition appears to be useful to you, we can help you to apply for a larger allocation on this partition via a standard EuroHPC Access Call. Active ASC users in non-commercial projects can get test access to the LEONARDO DCGP partition by requesting a test user in the joint "DCGP Austria 2025" project that will run 01.09.2025 - 01.09.2026 at CINECA. In order to apply, send an email to leonardo(a)vsc.ac.at telling your VSC project and VSC username, when and how long you would like to get access, the amount of core hours you would like to get, and a short description of your project and why you think that your application can benefit from using the LEONARDO DCGP partition (max half a page). We will check if your application is suitable for the LEONARDO DCGP partition as well as eligibility and grant you short-term access on a first-come first-serve basis. For this we will also ask you to register in the CINECA User DB. Please note, that resources on LEONARDO are given on a monthly basis and follow a linearization policy. You should be able to start calculations at the beginning of your requested project start date (preferably on 01.09.2025). After your test access is over, we will ask you to provide a short feedback (max half a page) about your experience with running your application on the LEONARDO DCGP partition. There is no formal deadline, we accept rolling applications until the resources in the joint "DCGP Austria 2025" project are exhausted. The application process is just via email to leonardo(a)vsc.ac.at as outlined above. If you do have some urgent demand for CPU hours on LEONARDO DCGP you can still request some resources (a few 100 k core hours) in the running "DCGP Austria 2024" project that will expire on 01.10.2025. You can find all information about the AURELEO calls at: https://asc.ac.at/access/aureleo-austrian-users-at-leonardo-supercomputer/ Best regards, ASC team and LEONARDO - high-level support team Austria

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Survey about module use on VSC-5
by Florian Goldenberg 07 Aug '25

07 Aug '25

Dear VSC-5 users, We created a survey about the modules used by our users on VSC-5. We would ask you to fill out said survey if you can make the time for it - it will provide valuable information ofr us in order to set up the software stack on MUSICA. If you plan to participate, please fill it our until 12th of September 2025. The form does not collect any private information (like email, real name,...) - the VSC username can be given voluntarily, as it gives us some information about the groups that use a particular software, but it can be left blank as well. The survey is found here: https://forms.gle/x5B9qzavF2hNCy9M9 Many thanks, ASC Team -- Mag. Florian Goldenberg ASC Research Center Technical University of Vienna Operngasse 11 1040 Vienna, Austria Phone: +43 (1) 58801 420811 Mobile: +43 (0) 664 60588 4208 e-mail: florian.goldenberg(a)tuwien.ac.at web: https://www.asc.ac.at Bluesky @asc.ac.at

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[VSC News] Important news: VSC has a new name
by VSC Newsletter 09 Jul '25

09 Jul '25

Dear VSC users, we are excited to share important news about an internal change: The Vienna Scientific Cluster (VSC) has undergone a slight rebranding and will now operate under a new name: Austrian Scientific Computing (ASC) This name better reflects the nationwide scope of the ASC consortium, which currently includes six universities across Austria -- and is set to grow further in the coming years. All email addresses and URLs using vsc.ac.at have been updated to asc.ac.at. Redirects from vsc.ac.at are in place, so existing links will still work for the time being. Updated links overview * Website: asc.ac.at [1] * User documentation: docs.asc.ac.at [2] * Support: support(a)asc.ac.at * Training: training(a)asc.ac.at * All contact information: asc.ac.at/contact [3] * Bluesky: @asc.ac.at, https://bsky.app/profile/asc.ac.at Acknowledgment From now on, please use the following wording to acknowledge ASC in your publications: "The computational results have been achieved using the Austrian Scientific Computing (ASC) infrastructure." New logo You can download the new ASC logo here: https://asc.ac.at/presscorner/download-area-for-logos-brochures-photos/ [4] Want to know more? Read our statement on the new name here: https://asc.ac.at/news/2025/news-records/statement-on-the-new-name [5] For any questions or inquiries, reach out to us at: support(a)asc.ac.at Best regards, ASC team Links: ------ [1] https://asc.ac.at/ [2] https://docs.asc.ac.at/ [3] https://asc.ac.at/contact [4] https://asc.vsc.ac.at/presscorner/download-area-for-logos-brochures-photos/ [5] https://asc.vsc.ac.at/news/2025/news-records/statement-on-the-new-name

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[VSC News] AURELEO: Austrian users at LEONARDO supercomputer - Call 2025 for LEONARDO Booster
by VSC Newsletter 02 Jun '25

02 Jun '25

Dear VSC users, we would like to draw your attention to the AURELEO Call that offers GPU resources on the EuroHPC system LEONARDO to Austrian users affiliated with academic and/or research institutions. AURELEO: AUSTRIAN USERS AT LEONARDO SUPERCOMPUTER In August 2023 the Italian pre-exascale HPC system LEONARDO began the regular operation of its so-called "Booster" module [1] which draws its enormous computing power from four NVIDIA Ampere GPUs per node. Currently (TOP500 November 2024 list) it is the ninth most powerful supercomputer in the world and fourth most powerful in Europe. Austria has its share of LEONARDO since it is a partner in the consortium that has built the machine and Austrian users are encouraged to take this opportunity to apply for compute time at LEONARDO's GPU-accelerated "Booster" module [1]. In terms of computational power this share is comparable to the already available GPU partition at the current VSC-5 installation. Hereby VSC announces this Call for Proposals that could benefit from Booster's multi-GPU nodes. ELIGIBILITY AND RESPONSIBILITIES * This call is intended for medium-sized projects (from 50,000 to 100,000 GPU hours). * The duration of the projects is 6 months or 12 months from resource allocation date. * Since the "Booster" module [1] comprises multi-GPU nodes your application must efficiently use at least all 4 GPUs available on the node; this includes embarrassingly parallel implementations. However, priority will be given to projects that are able to prove scalability. * Since VSC has no direct control over time allocation, granted projects need to make sure to use all the resources that have been granted to them, otherwise they are simply lost for Austrian users. DEADLINES * Unlike the usual applications for VSC projects, which are submitted in a rolling fashion, and similar to the way it is handled at EuroHPC this Call includes cut-offs: * The next application cut-off date is 2025-06-16. * Notification of acceptance will be sent by 2025-06-25. * PIs of accepted projects at LEONARDO have to sign in at the UserDB of CINECA by 2025-06-27. * The projects will start on 2025-07-01. APPLICATION FOR PROJECTS * The Call is open for applicants affiliated with academic and/or research institutions in Austria. * Applicants have to download the "AURELEO application form" [2] and fill it in. * Applications shall be done on the VSC service website https://service.vsc.ac.at [3] with requesting a new "funded project" with the project part "LEONARDO-B". You'll have to upload the filled "AURELEO application form" [2] and the proof of funding. * Applications on the VSC service website have to be done by the person who has the funding agreement with the recognised funding agency. It is possible to name another person to act as PI at LEONARDO to be in charge of the CINECA project account. * Note, in order to use LEONARDO every user will have to upload a proof of identity to the UserDB of CINECA (LEONARDO's hosting entity). * LEONARDO's technical specifications: https://leonardo-supercomputer.cineca.eu/hpc-system [1] * For any questions related to this Call, access and usage of LEONARDO, please, write to: leonardo(a)vsc.ac.at REVIEW OF THE PROJECTS * The technical review is performed by VSC staff according to LEONARDO's guidelines. * No additional scientific review is required if the planned computations are carried out within a project that has already been approved by a recognised funding agency, such as FWF, FFG, ÖAW, WWTF, ERC, EU, etc. HIGH-LEVEL SUPPORT TEAM IS AVAILABLE * Every AURELEO project will have one high-level support team member assigned for assistance. * For this type of call a user can request additional assistance of specialist support. * Technical support is done via CINECA's help desk. See also: https://vsc.ac.at/access/aureleo-austrian-users-at-leonardo-supercomputer Best regards, VSC team Links: ------ [1] https://leonardo-supercomputer.cineca.eu/hpc-system/ [2] https://vsc.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/vsc/download/AURELEO/AURELEO-2025_A… [3] https://service.vsc.ac.at/

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[VSC News] ASHPC25 - Call for abstracts, registration is open
by VSC Newsletter 19 Feb '25

19 Feb '25

Dear VSC users and friends, we invite you to participate in the ASHPC25 - Austrian-Slovenian HPC Meeting 2025 <https://ashpc.eu/e/ASHPC25>, which will take place at Rimske Terme, Slovenia, from May 19 to May 22, 2025. Continuing the tradition of the annual Austrian HPC Meetings (2015-2020) and the Austrian-Slovenian HPC Meetings (2021-2024), ASHPC25 will bring together users and providers of large-scale computing resources for both academic and non-academic research and development. Keynote speakers [1] will share insights into the latest developments in distributed machine-learning algorithms, algorithmic developments in computational molecular sciences, quantum computing, and the challenges posed by climate and weather simulations. Additionally, the meeting will provide a platform for exchanging experiences related to the operation of large-scale computing resources and the challenges encountered. We are now accepting abstracts for contributed talks and posters at ASHPC25. We encourage you to submit an abstract highlighting your work and expertise related to High-Performance Computing (HPC). Topics may include applications of HPC, research conducted on HPC clusters, systems engineering (software, storage, networking, etc.), and any other HPC-related subjects. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed, and accepted submissions will be published. Abstract submissions can be made at https://ashpc.eu/event/25/abstracts/ [2]until January 10, 2025. You can download the abstract template here: ASHPC25_abstract_template.zip [3] Notifications regarding the acceptance of talks or posters will be sent out by February 10, 2025. We look forward to your valuable contributions! Registration for ASHPC25, along with the co-located Central European NCCs Workgroup Meeting, is now open at: https://ashpc.eu/event/25/registrations/3/ Please register by February 15, 2025 to ensure room reservations at the hotel, as we cannot guarantee accommodations beyond this date. We also offer scholarships of EUR200 for students. For more information, please refer to the Call for Abstracts and the Registration Form, or feel free to contact us. For further updates and details, please visit: https://ashpc.eu/e/ASHPC25 We look forward to welcoming you to ASHPC25! Best regards on behalf of the organizers, VSC team Links: ------ [1] https://ashpc.eu/event/25/page/9-keynote-speakers [2] https://ashpc.eu/event/25/abstracts/ [3] https://ashpc.eu/event/25/attachments/88/219/ASHPC25_abstract_template.zip

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[VSC News] News and changes
by Florian Goldenberg 17 Dec '24

17 Dec '24

Dear VSC users, we would like to inform you about some important news and changes coming up soon at the VSC. First, to make the queues more efficient and ideally decrease waiting times, the default runtime of jobs will be reduced to 1 day. The maximum time is still unchanged at 3 days, but if no --time is given, a job will end after 24 hours. Additionally, we encourage you to also use parameter --time-min if possible – this is the expected minimum runtime of your job. Both these parameters will increase the chances of your job to start earlier. For example, if you have a job that needs at least 6 hours but might run up to 2 days, add these parameters: #SBATCH --time=2-00:00:00 #SBATCH --time-min=06:00:00 The changes will go into effect on effect on January 7th 2025. Second, as also requested by several users, we have created the ability for VSC users to engage in a chat-space. There users can interact and maybe help each other, and, as time permits, some of us will also look into it from time to time. The chat-space is in TUmatrix and can be found and joined here: https://matrix.tuwien.ac.at/#/room/#vsc:tuwien.ac.at. If your institution has Matrix, you can use your account there, otherwise you can make an account at https://matrix.org/try-matrix/. Please note that this will not be a support chat – the support is still given via the support mail address or the support webpage. The chat rooms are already available for you to access. Furthermore, a new and vastly improved documentation is now online at https://docs.vsc.ac.at/ – there are some items still missing or not fully covered yet, but all the basic information is there. As the missing details are added by us, it will be replacing the current VSC wiki completely. Best regards, VSC-Team

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[News] AURELEO: Test access to LEONARDO DCGP (CPU partition)
by VSC Newsletter 13 Nov '24

13 Nov '24

Dear VSC users, Austria owns a small share of the LEONARDO DCGP (Data-Centric General-Purpose) partition at the LEONARDO supercomputer operated by CINECA in Bologna. The nodes of this partition are equipped with two Intel Sapphire Rapids CPUs, each with 56 cores, that are known for their extremely high memory bandwidth. In addition, the DCGP partition uses Mellanox HDR 200Gb/s InfiniBand connectivity, with smart in-network computing acceleration engines that enable extremely low latency and high data throughput to provide the highest HPC application performance and scalability. The DCGP is a CPU only partition. Test access to the LEONARDO DCGP partition is possible for active VSC users in non-commercial projects and because of the limited amount of resources it is suited for testing and/or benchmarking only. Such a test access might be especially useful if you have a memory-bandwidth bound application and in general for everyone interested to test the Intel Sapphire Rapids CPUs. If after testing the DCGP partition appears to be useful to you, we can help you to apply for a larger allocation on this partition via a standard EuroHPC Access Call. Active VSC users in non-commercial projects can get test access to the LEONARDO DCGP partition by requesting a test user in the joint "DCGP Austria 2024" project that is already in place at CINECA. In order to apply, send an email to leonardo(a)vsc.ac.at telling your VSC project and VSC username, when and how long you would like to get access, and a short description of your project and why you think that your application can benefit from using the LEONARDO DCGP partition (max half a page). We will check if your application is suitable for the LEONARDO DCGP partition as well as eligibility and grant you short-term access on a first-come first-serve basis. For this we will also ask you to register in the CINECA User DB. After your test access is over, we will ask you to provide a short feedback (max half a page) about your experience with running your application on the LEONARDO DCGP partition. There is no formal deadline, we accept rolling applications until the resources in the joint "DCGP Austria 2024" project are exhausted. Best regards, VSC team and HLST LEONARDO Austria

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